DISH Network
Support Blamed Weather for Signal Loss, Offered No Diagnostics

This is now the second time I've tried to get a problem solved concerning a sudden loss of satellite signal. The last time I was helped by a lady from India and she and I worked through the issue well. This time I got some geek from New York who kept wanting to tell me how local weather phenomenon might affect the signal strength. Problem, It wasn't raining or snowing (we did get 3 inches of snow 3 hours before my call, but the local NOAA instant satellite feed showed only light precipitation and a cloud base height of 20 DBZ for 120 miles to my SW with diminishing cloud IR density) I had already completed the diagnostic tests the very nice lady from India and I performed and knew that the issue was either the dish alignment or there was an issue with one of the satellites.

I wanted the "tech-support" guy from NYC to help me with any additional diagnostics that may be helpful and he told me not bother to because I may loose service altogether. (Clue: I called because I didn't have any service.) He told me to just wait out the weather. Here is another problem: I live in the Pacific Northwest. We get rain and snow. I rarely loose service during even the most extreme weather phenomenon and this evening was no major storm.

I teach physics and my father was an engineer who worked on radar systems for GE so I understand the effect of rain clouds on signal propagation. Needless to say, no rain or snow now and the sky is clearing to the SW and still no service. DISH needs to train support staff to listen and help, even if they are from NYC. Again, given the choice between Comcast and DISH I would pick Comcast. But since I don't have that choice due to my remoteness I feel stuck with a choice between a blanket with holes and no blanket at all.

Company: DISH Network
Country: USA
Site: dish.com

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